Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Laziness Unearthed

"Overachiever" is not a word that I would use to describe my lawn and gardening skills. I despise having to go out in the 101-degree heat at 8 p.m. and water the lawn. So much so that I merely put the sprinkler in the middle of the lawn, turn it on high, and let it go for about 40-50 minutes, depending on how long it has been since I last watered the lawn. And the results are . . . well, not so good.

See Exhibit A below. You can almost draw a curved line to trace where the sprinkler, which was placed up near the bushes at the far left, sprayed out toward the street, working hard to cover the most ground for me.


Then, there is the matter of gardening. I honestly tried in this area. I planted 21 little vinca plants the first weekend in June. They got plenty of water. It was just the way they got watered that took its toll: Think multiple storms with 50-60 mile-per-hour winds and pelting rain mixed with a little hail for good measure.

The result is Exhibit B.


I am a tad bit embarrassed about my laziness in maintaining my lawn and flower garden, mostly because they are on display for all to see. It's not as easy to hide that as it can be to hide laziness that creeps into other areas of my life. My stewardship is not photograph-able, neither is my practice (or lack thereof) of spiritual disciplines. And because such matters aren't so easily reviewed, it's easy to let them fall by the wayside.

But thankfully, God has surrounded me with good friends who care enough to hold me accountable and ask me about the important things in life that aren't so easily depicted. In the beginning, I dreaded giving my report, but just knowing I would be asked to give one started to help keep me on track. And throughout the process, my friends were willing to extend grace and encouragement, which helped.

That has worked so well that now I guess I need to get an accountability partner for my lawn and gardening. One who can motivate me to replant flowers in the July heat. I'm thinking that person has his/her work cut out.

2 comments:

Wheeler Reviews said...

Don't be embarrassed. We're all a bit lazy, and I'm more than a bit lazy. I'm just trying to grow and mature more and become less lazy one step at a time. And let me tell you, there's not one lawn on my court that doesn't look as bad as, if not worse than, your lawn. You'd have to be crazy to want to work outside in 100 degree weather!

Krista Sanders said...

Landscaping is difficult here!! Only desert plants thrive. Interesting analogy- the "photographable" areas. Hmmmm...